Summary

The sports game genre is one of the most popular video game genres among gamers and sports fans. Because of the ever-changing nature of many sports teams and leagues, many companies that put out sports games are expected to come up with new games or updates for the old games every year.

As a result of these yearly releases, sometimes the games can fall short, but they’re mostly fun experiences that allow you to live out your dream of making it big in the world of your favorite sport by playing through the career mode. With ever-improving video game graphics and mechanics, playing as your favorite team and players has never before felt as good as it did in 2023.

EA Sports NHL 24: close up of a Panthers player

Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5

Release Date

20 July 2025

NHL 24 is the 2023 addition to EA Sports’ ongoing hockey video game series. This game offers some of the most significant improvements you will find in any of the previous games. It has improved graphics and mechanics thanks to the progression of gaming technology.

Many game modes are recycled from previous games, but the individual game modes have a lot of great new gameplay features for both you, the player, and the AI. It is not the best sports game ever made, but it is a breath of fresh air for hockey fans who love video games.

EA Sports UFC 5: sweaty fighter posing in the ring.

13 May 2025

EA Sports UFC 4was released in 2020, three years before the release of UFC 5. Suffice it to say that fans of this game series had gotten their fill of UFC 4 and were ready and understandably excited for UFC 5.

The game introduced many new features and gameplay mechanics while mainly sticking to previously established formulas. The character models look incredible, and the new gameplay elements certainly add new life to the series. However, a lot of attention was focused on areas that most players weren’t bothered by, and areas like career mode that needed more love and development were hardly touched.

Forza Motorsport: view of a blue and yellow car racing on a track

08 June 2025

Forza Motorsportis a car racing game that gives you a good feel of what it’s like to strap into a supercar and drive as fast as possible. The mechanics of this game allow you to experience the capabilities of real-life vehicles at full capacity in various controlled terrains.

The control is excellent, and the game does a fine job with the handling and overall driving of the vehicles, which many race car games struggle with. The game also allows you to customize your controls to suit your skill level. Forza Motorsport is an enjoyable racing experience with great graphics and solid gameplay.

WWE 2K23: wrestler holding up the belt

6WWE 2K23

Platforms

PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows

12 May 2025

WWEhas been one of the biggest sports and entertainment companies for several decades now, extending into the gaming world as well. TheWWE 2Kgame series has had its ups and downs over the years, andWWE 2K23is a mix of both.

The gameplay is excellent, and the graphics and character models are the best they’ve ever been in the series. It’s got a lot of different game modes to keep you entertained. If you’re a huge wrestling and WWE fan, this will be a fun experience for you to enjoy alone or with friends.

MLB The Show 2023: A batter swings

5MLB The Show 2023

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

15 July 2025

MLB The Showis the leading baseball video game series, and the 2023 addition has a lot of significant factors that add to that fact. This version introduces a lot of new modes that you can enjoy.

The game takes you through the gears of the fantastic sport of baseball and explores every facet of the sport in the best way a video game can. The gameplay mechanics and graphics are great, the new game modes are just what the series needed, and all the more minor details add to the life of the game, making it a fun experience for every video game-loving baseball fan.

Madden NFL 24: a football player flexing

4Madden NFL 24

Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows

07 July 2025

The NFL is one of the most significant sports leagues in the world, so it’s no surprise that the Madden NFL game series has seen a lot of success over the years despite not always meeting fan expectations, mainly due to having to put out a new game every year.

NFL 24is the best the game has looked and played so far, thanks to advancements in consoles and PCs and extra attention going into these areas in the 2023 installment of the series. The game introduces gameplay animations that take individual player physiques into account. This game is a massive improvement from previous installments in the series and is a great way to enjoy the sport of football.

NBA 2K23: Kevin Durant possesses the basketball in a game

3NBA 2K24

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows

08 July 2025

Basketball is one of the biggest sports in the world, and the hype behind the NBA 2K game series is a direct testament to that. This game’s yearly release is practically a culture at this point, and they do their best to meet the players’ desires.

NBA 2K24introduces numerous new features across several game modes for players to look forward to. With that said, the game is plagued by several microtransactions across several of the best game modes. That said, NBA 2K24 is the best place to get an authentic basketball gaming experience.

EA Sports FC 24: player in blue, jumping

2EA Sports FC 24

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Android, and Microsoft Windows

19 July 2025

2023 was a massive year for EA Sports in terms of their football/soccer games, as it saw the end of the long-standingFIFA seriesand the start of the EA Sports FC series.EA Sports FC 24is the first installment of the EA Sports FC yearly football game releases. As such, the folks behind the games wanted to make as many improvements as possible to give this game and the series an identity separate from the FIFA series going forward.

That said, the game still has many bugs that EA continues to fix as time goes on with patches and updates. EA Sports FC 24 has a lot of great qualities and features some of the most extensive upgrades anyone has seen in these games for a few years now.

Football Manager 2024: players standing in a row

1Football Manager 2024

PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Apple Arcade, Microsoft Windows, macOS

28 July 2025

The Football Manager series has built a reputation for consistently offering some of the most authentic and realistic football scenarios in the game.Football Manager 2024does a great job of carrying on that principle by adding even more features that mimic life as a football manager.

This game is in-depth and covers almost every basis in football, from rule and format changes in certain competitions to managers being sacked and replaced by their clubs without your involvement. If you’re playing Football Manager 2024, you’re not playing it for the graphics character models or to experience the like-for-like representation of some of your favorite players but rather for the game’s authentic football experience. That said, the game has also done an excellent job of improving match graphics significantly.